Cara Spencer

Cara Spencer
Member of the
St. Louis Board of Aldermen
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 2015
Preceded byCraig Schmid
Constituency20th ward (2015-23)
8th ward (since 2023)
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
EducationTruman State University (BS)
CommitteesHealth and Human Services Committee, Chair

Cara Spencer is an American politician from the state of Missouri. She serves on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen as alderwoman of Ward 8, having previously represented Ward 20 from 2015-2023. Spencer ran in the 2021 St. Louis mayoral election, finishing as a top-two candidate in the primary election. She lost in the general election to Tishaura Jones.

Spencer is a candidate in the 2025 St. Louis mayoral election.

Early life and education

Spencer grew up in South St. Louis City and St. Louis County. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Truman State University.[1]

Prior to becoming an elected official, Spencer did mathematical modeling for the St. Louis-based company Tessellon.[2]

In 2011, she had a son named Cy Spencer.

Politics

Spencer has served on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and ran for mayor in 2021 St. Louis mayoral election. In her role as Alderwoman, Spencer represents Ward 8, which consists of Downtown St. Louis, Soulard, and Lafayette Square. Previously, between 2015 and 2023, she represented Ward 20, which is located in South St. Louis and includes the neighborhoods of Dutchtown, Gravois Park, Marine Villa, and Mount Pleasant.[1]

Board of Aldermen

Spencer was first elected to the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis in April 2015 after defeating incumbent Craig Schmid, who had held the seat for two decades, in the Democratic primary election. She then defeated independent candidate Stephen Jehle and Green Party candidate Vickie Ingram in the general election.[3][4][5] Spencer was re-elected in 2019.[5]

During her first term in office she was the primary sponsor of legislation which: enacted stricter campaign finance laws,[6][7] imposed stricter air pollution standards than state requirements on asbestos in demolitions,[8][9] required absentee landlords to pay fines for building code violations,[10] imposed fines on payday lending operators,[11] and protected victims of drug overdose by enacting the 1st municipal good Samaritan law in the US, granting immunity to drug possession charges to anyone calling 911 for help during an overdose.[12] Spencer co-developed and helped implement the "mow-to-own" program allowing residents to obtain an adjacent city-owned lot by mowing it for one year.[13] Spencer helped stop the St. Louis Lambert International Airport from being privatized.[14][15][16]

In 2016, an ethics complaint was filed against Spencer by attorney Jane Dueker, alleging that Spencer failed to disclose a personal financial interest related to legislation she introduced regulating payday lending. The case was dismissed.[17] In August 2020, Spencer was the target of a petition to recall her from her position as Alderwoman. The petition was organized by Metropolitan Strategies and Solution, a consulting firm that supported privatization efforts.[18][19]

Spencer serves as the chair of the aldermanic Health and Human Services Committee for the city of St. Louis.[20][21]

2021 St. Louis mayoral election

Main article: 2021 St. Louis mayoral election

On January 13, 2020, Spencer announced her intention to run for mayor of St. Louis in 2021.[22][3][1][23] The 2021 election was the city's first to use approval voting.[24] Spencer, along with Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, were endorsed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board in a joint endorsement (since voters could now select more than one candidate in the primary election).[25] Spencer was also endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Advocates of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri and former St. Louis Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl.[26][27][28]

Spencer, alongside St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones, advanced to the general election after the primary on March 2, 2021.[29][30][31][32] Spencer was defeated by Jones in the general election held on April 6, 2021.[33]

2025 St. Louis mayoral election

Main article: 2025 St. Louis mayoral election

On May 23, 2024, Spencer declared her second bid for mayor of St. Louis in 2025, challenging the incumbent Jones.[34]

References

  1. ^ a b c Kevin S. Held (January 13, 2020). "Alderwoman Cara Spencer to challenge Mayor Lyda Krewson in 2021 primary". Fox2Now. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Cara Spencer Ward 20 Alderwoman". St. Louis Government Website. January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Danny Wicentowski (January 13, 2020). "St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer First to Challenge Krewson for Mayor". River Front Times. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Election Summary Report March 3, 2015" (PDF). St. Louis Government Website. March 9, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Cara Spencer on Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Kirn, Jacob. "City aldermen eye campaign finance reforms amid Stenger probe". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  7. ^ "Board Bill". stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  8. ^ "Ordinance Details". stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  9. ^ Arrighi, Jeanine (August 27, 2019). "Easy West Gateway Council of Governments Air Quality Advisory Committee" (PDF).
  10. ^ Fenske, Sarah. "'McKee Exemption' Scrapped by Board of Aldermen in Unanimous Vote". Riverfront Times. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "After months of delay, aldermen give initial approval to restrictions on payday lenders". St. Louis Public Radio. November 4, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  12. ^ Murphy, Doyle. "'Good Samaritan' Law Bars St. Louis Cops from Arresting Drug Users Who Call 911 for Overdoses". Riverfront Times. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  13. ^ Doyle Murphy (December 14, 2015). "Here's a New Plan for Overgrown St. Louis Lots: Mow to Own". River Front Times. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  14. ^ Mark Schlinkmann (December 21, 2019). "St. Louis airport privatization effort is dead, Krewson says". St. Louis Today. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  15. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (July 9, 2020). "St. Louis airport privatization saga continues at Board of Aldermen". STLtoday.com. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  16. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (September 3, 2020). "Lambert privatization plan yanked from Nov. 3 St. Louis ballot". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  17. ^ Koran Addo (October 11, 2016). "Ethics complaint against St. Louis alderman dismissed". St. Louis Today. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  18. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (August 7, 2020). "Petition drive launched to put recall of Alderman Cara Spencer on Nov. 3 ballot". STLtoday.com. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  19. ^ "Supporters of Lambert Airport Privatization tries to recall their main critic on the Board of Aldermen". FOX 2. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  20. ^ American, Rebecca Rivas Of The St Louis (May 20, 2020). "City aldermen question whether city's contact tracing program can keep up now with stay-at-home orders lifted". St. Louis American. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  21. ^ "Aldermanic Committee". stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  22. ^ Nassim Benchaabane (January 13, 2020). "Alderman Cara Spencer running for mayor of St. Louis". St. Louis Today. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  23. ^ Jason Rosenbaum; Jo Mannies (January 13, 2020). "Politically Speaking: Alderman Spencer on entering the fray at the Board of Aldermen". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  24. ^ Nathaniel Rakich (March 1, 2021). "In St. Louis, Voters Will Get To Vote For As Many Candidates As They Want". Five Thirty Eight. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  25. ^ The Editorial Board (February 17, 2021). "Editorial: We recommend Lewis Reed and Cara Spencer in the St. Louis mayoral primary". STLtoday.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  26. ^ "Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri". m.facebook.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  27. ^ Bogan, Jesse. "'A whole bunch of history': Two progressives in St. Louis mayor's race get support from the past". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  28. ^ Dana Rieck (February 28, 2021). "With primary around the corner, mayoral candidate endorsements pile up". St. Louis American. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  29. ^ "St. Louis City". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  30. ^ Doyle Murphy (March 2, 2021). "Tishaura Jones, Cara Spencer Moving Forward in St. Louis Mayor's Race". River Front Times. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  31. ^ "Tishaura Jones, Cara Spencer advance to general election in St. Louis Mayor's race". KMOV4. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  32. ^ Colin Jeffery (March 8, 2021). "St. Louis mayoral race poll shows Jones, Spencer in statistical tie". KSDK. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  33. ^ Millitzer, Joe (April 6, 2021). "Tishaura Jones to be next mayor of St. Louis". KTVI. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  34. ^ Lippmann, Rachel (May 23, 2024). "Alderwoman Cara Spencer plans second run for St. Louis mayor". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
Political offices
Preceded by
Craig Schmid
 Member of the St. Louis Board of Alderpersons
from the 20th Ward
2015–present 		Incumbent